


The Forgotten Sisters Club

by captainamergirl



Series: The Forgotten Sisters Club [1]
Category: Beverly Hills 90210 (1990), Grey's Anatomy, Guiding Light, The Bold and the Beautiful
Genre: Alternate Universe, Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Girl Power, One Shot, Sisters, Unconventional, club, random idea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:20:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,392
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23622238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captainamergirl/pseuds/captainamergirl
Summary: For the past year, four very different women have had held a weekly get-together of “The Forgotten Sisters Club” -- a group where they share their lives, pursuits, and grievances, along with their feelings of being lost in their older sisters’ shadows...{Highly AU}
Series: The Forgotten Sisters Club [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1700386
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	The Forgotten Sisters Club

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this over 10 years ago. Can you believe that? But I found it again recently and am wondering if I should make it a little series. Lemme know what you think of the idea :)

**_Seattle, Washington_ **   
  
Lexie Grey was running thirty minutes late to the meeting of her weekly women’s group. She had assisted on two back-to-back surgeries that morning – both of which had run longer than originally anticipated. She only had a short break before she had to return to the hospital but she didn’t want to call and cancel. She actually looked forward to these weekly excursions into the social world.    
  
Quite a few staff members at the hospital had called in sick that day, causing everyone to have to double up on the work. (Lexie figured when they were “sick”, that was really a code word for “it is raining a lot today and I would rather stay home, curled up in a blanket with a hot mug of cocoa while I watch my stories.”) No one was as committed to their job as Lexie was. Except maybe her half-sister Meredith.    
  
_Sisters._ It was not easy being the younger sibling of a woman who everyone thought hung the moon. A woman who could do no wrong as many believed of Dr. Meredith Grey. A woman who Lexie would always be measured against and found to be woefully lacking in comparison. Sure most didn't outright say that, but it was pretty much understood.   
  
As she drove through downtown Seattle with her windows rolled up to keep in the little warmth emanating from her faltering car heater, Lexie thought of how she had first come to be a member of “The Forgotten Sisters Club”. The leader – or organizer, if you wanted to call her that – was a woman named Cassie Lewis. Lexie had met Cassie when she came into the Seattle Grace emergency room with a large splinter in her toe that had made her whole foot swell up. Cassie had gotten the splinter from walking across her newly laid deck barefoot. Her husband Josh hadn't gotten around to having it sanded down at that point.    
  
Lexie and Cassie had had an almost immediate rapport and when Meredith walked in to oversee the case, Cassie had noticed “the temperature drop forty degrees” as she put it when Meredith quickly checked out Cassie and scooted out again as quickly as she had come in. Cassie had coaxed Lexie into opening up a little about her situation with Meredith. Lexie admitted that most of the time, she felt that though they shared DNA, she and Meredith shared little else. “I know how you feel,” Cassie had said.    
  
“You do?” Lexie asked, wondering internally why she had shared so much personal information with a patient. Maybe she had just seen the understanding in Cassie’s clear, azure eyes. Maybe she had just sensed Lexie’s need to open up and talk, even though it wasn’t professional of her to do so.    
  
“Sure. Your sister is a classic go-getter; she’s strong; she’s brave; she’s an incredible person … Once someone meets her, they are enthralled for life, right? You feel like you can never quite compare. Like you don’t even exist outside her frame of reference. You are the unseen. You are the forgotten sister.”   
  
“That does sound rather familiar,” Lexie replied softly. “I take it you have a sister like her too?"   
  
“Well not exactly. Reva is loud, reckless; impulsive … something your sister doesn’t appear to be. But Reva is every bit as unforgettable; amazing and incredible as your sister. I am always being compared to her, and people wonder – though they don’t ask - ‘why can’t Cassie be more like her?’ You are definitely a candidate for my group.”   
  
Lexie raised an eyebrow. “Your group?” she echoed.   
  
“Yeah The Forgotten Sisters Club. We have three members – my two friends, Katie and Gina, and myself, of course. I met Katie at a party my husband Josh took me to, when I moved to Seattle after I was married for the third time. Yes, the third time! She then introduced me to her friend, Gina, who works as a model at her family’s fashion company. Katie invited me to a girl’s night out and we got to talking about ourselves and our families and realized we were all forgotten sisters. Gina coined the term and I said we needed a club. I was joking around but they liked the idea. We started meeting at ‘El Patio’ on 5th Avenue every Monday at noon for lunch and now we’re regulars there.” Cassie opened her purse and slipped out a business card, passing it to Lexie. “Call me if you want to, and try to join us next week. I know it sounds totally crazy, but believe me; we have a lot of fun.”   
  
Lexie took the card and tucked it in the front pocket of her lab coat. “I will try,” she said. She finished bandaging Cassie’s foot and helped her into a wheel chair where a nurse took over from there, pushing Cassie out of the hospital.   
  
Lexie had never really intended to go but she had happened to have a free hour the next Monday and decided  _“what the heck? I need to make some friends of my own.”_ She had gone and self-consciously walked into the restaurant where Cassie waved her over. Katie was already there and Cassie introduced Lexie to her and they all chatted amiably. Gina came about fifteen minutes later. Katie said Gina liked to arrive fashionably late whenever possible. She also liked to make a stir, Lexie had noticed, eyeing her black leather pants and tiny pink halter top exposing her perfectly firm, flat abdomen. Lexie hadn’t been sure she would have anything in common with Gina but Gina had immediately disarmed her wariness with a joke and an anecdote about her date the night before. Apparently, Lexie was not the only one with poor taste in men. Even Cassie admitted to having struck out many times before she felt she finally got it right – with her sister’s husband of all people! They all had an easy, friendly rapport from the beginning. A year later and none of them had missed a meeting yet.   
  
_And I’m not going to either,_ Lexie thought, lightly pressing down on the gas pedal. She was only three blocks away and didn’t see the harm of going a little faster now that the rain had subsided for the moment. These meetings meant too much to her; she needed these get-togethers to feel like she had a connection to someone. She wasn’t exactly getting that feeling anywhere else.    
  
She pulled her small foreign car up in front of “El Patio”. She jumped out of and quickly stuck 3 quarters into the parking meter. She dashed inside. The familiar, enticing scent of frying tortillas tickled her nostrils as she made her way to the back table where her friends were sitting. And they were her friends now; her  _best_ friends.    
  
Gina was sitting at the end of the booth, squeezing a lime into a tall margarita glass while she talked, looking too gorgeous, as usual, in a designer knit top only she would dare wear on a stormy day like this in Washington. Her dark hair was curled at the ends as it draped just so over her slender shoulders and her makeup was flawless. Katie was sitting in the middle of Gina and Cassie, carefully spooning a nacho through warm, thick cheese, carefully avoiding dribbling any on her pressed, powder blue pantsuit. Cassie was holding back her fine blonde hair as she listened to Gina’s story and took a sip of her perpetually plain, black coffee. Cassie didn’t work like the other three women, but would never drink any alcohol during their lunches because she had to pick up her boys from school later on and she did not want to drive while intoxicated. Lexie believed that was one of the things that made her such a good mother. Lexie did not drink either at their lunches because she had to be totally focused when she went back to the hospital.   
  
The women looked up as Lexie slid into the booth beside Cassie. “You’re late,” Gina pronounced.   
  
“I promise it wasn’t intentional,” Lexie said with a little smile. “Work was crazy.”   
  
“Tell me about it,” Gina said with a groan.   
  
“What work do you do?” Katie asked with a laugh. “I didn’t know lounging in a chair while someone took your picture was considered strenuous work.”   
  
“You think looking this good is easy?” Gina scoffed. “I spend three hours at the gym every day to keep my body in shape. My manager says I should give up these lunch meetings to avoid getting fat.”   
  
“You need to eat,” Lexie said. “You need nourishment and –“   
  
Gina rolled her eyes. “Here goes Dr. Grey.”    
  
Lexie shook her head. “I am just trying to be helpful. I don’t want you to become sick again or-“   
  
“You mean you don’t want me to become anorexic again. Don’t worry, Lexie, I’m not going to.”    
  
Lexie had learned early on that Gina had struggled with an eating disorder since she was a pre-teen and started prepping for the junior Olympics. She had been ice skating and was, according to Gina, on the fast track to success but had never felt she was quite tiny enough for those “foofy red eyesores” her manager forced her to wear. When her promising skating career ended at the age of eighteen, due to a bad fall on the ice, she had been malnourished and frail and had been hospitalized for two months, being force-fed against her will. It had been the most difficult time of Gina’s life and she had felt like a failure but had healed mentally and physically as best as she could at the time. She would eventually attain a successful modeling career but whenever she found herself losing control, she would ironically find peace in starving herself once again. However, according to Gina, she had been eating steadily and going to counseling for the past two years, and as she put it, had been  _“eating like a damn horse!”_   
  
Lexie shrugged. “Sorry. It’s the doctor side of me forcing its way out.”   
  
“And your worrywart side,” Cassie said, lightly chucking her on the arm. “So what kept you?”    
  
“Two surgeries that went extra long,” Lexie said. “Have you all ordered yet?”   
  
“Just nachos,” Katie said, carefully biting into another one.   
  
“And a margarita for me,” Gina piped in. “I would offer you some but I know you’re in professional mode.”   
  
Lexie smiled. “Is there something wrong with not wanting to walk into the OR stumbling around with blood-shot eyes?”   
  
“Are you saying I stumble around with blood-shot eyes?” Gina asked.    
  
“No.”   
  
“Sure, sure …”   
  
_“So_ let’s order, shall we?” Katie suggested.   
  
“Yes, please,” Cassie said. “The boys get out early from school today. There’s a teacher conference, and besides, I’m starved.” She rubbed her stomach and smiled. “Especially now that I’m eating for two …”   
  
They all stared at her for a moment and then began to congratulate her. “That was subtle,” Gina said with a smile. “Very smooth.”   
  
“When are you due?” Katie asked.    
  
“Eight months. I just found out two days ago.”   
  
“That’s great,” Lexie said giving her a quick hug. “I am so happy for you.”   
  
“So that makes what – three for you, Cassie, and zero for Katie, Lexie, and I?” Gina piped in.   
  
“Four with Tammy,” Cassie said, lowering her eyes for a moment. Cassie’s daughter had died two years before after being hit by a car. If Lexie recalled correctly, she would have been twenty-one this year.   
  
“She’s up there and she’s happy for you, Cassie,” Katie said, squeezing Cassie’s slender arm comfortingly. “I am sure of it.”   
  
“I hope so,” Cassie murmured. She lowered her head for a moment and wiped her eyes discreetly on a paper napkin. Everyone at the table was silent for a moment while she collected herself. Lexie well knew that just because someone had been gone from your life for awhile, didn’t mean you forgot them or the pain you felt missing them.   
  
Cassie looked up. "Alright. I’m fine. Please let’s order.”   
  
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Gina asked. “I didn’t mean to bring all of that up to the surface …”   
  
“Don’t worry. I’m fine, Gina,” Cassie replied. “All of you just relax. I have my moments but I always feel better once it comes out. I have been thinking about her a lot lately because her birthday is coming up soon. And now I’m pregnant and I think sometimes … I might have been a grandmother by now.” She laughed. “A thirty-nine–year-old grandma.”   
  
Cassie waved over the waiter and they gave him their order. He jotted it down in his notebook, then took their menus and walked away. When he was gone, Cassie said, “Let’s get to the minutes.”   
  
Katie laughed. “You are all always saying how anal retentive I am and yet you insist on keeping minutes, Cassie,” she said, shaking her head.   
  
“We don’t want to forget anything important,” Cassie said. “Minutes please, Gina.”   
  
Gina went through her purse. “Why do you always expect me to keep them?” Gina groaned, pulling everything out of the leather purse she carried today to match her pants. A tampon rolled out onto the tabletop and Lexie quickly reached out and grabbed for it. “Thanks,” Gina said, giving her a wry smile. “I needed that.”   
  
Gina kept going through her purse then found a crumpled up napkin with lipstick stains. She smoothed it down. “Here it is. Last week’s meeting... Katie had a date this week with some guy named –“ she dabbed at a lipstick stain – “Stan McDaniel. How did that go?”   
  
“Can we cross that one out please?” Katie asked. “I was hoping Gina lost the minutes so no one would remember. I certainly don’t want to remember it.”   
  
“That bad, huh? “ Gina said. “What was wrong? Boring? Grabby? Bad dresser? Made you pay for your own meal?”   
  
Katie shook her head. “No. He had … halitosis.” They all laughed. “Now moving on …”   
  
“Gina, you had a meeting with a producer about doing a movie …” Cassie said, taking the napkin. “How’d it go?”   
  
“Good,” Gina said. “He wants me for the part.”   
  
“Well that’s great, isn’t it?” Lexie asked, watching her face. “It is right? I mean, why aren’t you smiling?”   
  
“Well he wants me to … do a totally nude love scene,” Gina said. “Don’t any of you laugh! Don’t you dare!”   
  
They all hid smiles as best as they could. “So you’re not going to do it?” Cassie asked.    
  
“I’m not sure …”   
  
“The human body is natural,” Cassie said. “You don’t have to be ashamed.”   
  
“Said the housewife!” Gina guffawed.   
  
“Well you all know about my past. I’m not proud of my stripping days, but I’d never look down on you for it.”   
  
“Well I think you shouldn’t do it,” Katie said. “That would be so tasteless.”   
  
Gina ignored her. “What do you think, Lexie? Should I turn down a really great job that could boost my career or …”   
  
Lexie shrugged. “You’re asking me? Why are you asking me?”   
  
“Because you’re not a total prude – you’ve been around –“   
  
_“Hey!”_   
  
“Sorry. I mean, you’ve … well, um … You are not as wild as Cassie or as virginal as Katie.”   
  
Katie hit Gina on the arm. “I am not virginal.”   
  
“You soooo are, Katie. You’ve had sex – what? Like four times in your whole life?”   
  
“More than that,” Katie said. “But that’s not the point. Keep me out of this. I gave you my opinion and you obviously didn’t want it.”   
  
Gina ignored her. “Help me here, Lexie.”   
  
“I think … I think you should … well, think about it. Long and hard. I am not going to tell you what to do, Gina.”   
  
“Well someone has to!” she said desperately.   
  
“Well I’m not going to be the one,” Lexie said.   
  
“Then let’s move on,” Gina said. “Now, Lexie, you had an important decision to make. Have you decided?”   
  
“Decided what?” Lexie asked, playing dumb.   
  
“You said you were thinking about telling Alex the truth? That you had feelings for him,” Cassie said helpfully.   
  
Lexie swallowed. Now she wished Gina really would have lost those notes. Lexie didn’t want to remember this at all. She thought she was in love with Alex and she was sure he didn’t feel the same way, but she couldn’t get him out of her head. She wanted him; she wanted him to hold her and to love her. She wanted more from him than he could ever give her. Why had she gone and told her friends that?   
  
“I … well, uh, I do have feelings for him. But I decided I am not going to say anything because I know he doesn’t feel the same way.”   
  
“Chicken,” Gina scoffed.   
  
“You should be honest,” Katie added.   
  
Cassie took Lexie’s hand. “But how can you be sure he doesn’t feel the same way? If you never asked him?”   
  
“Because he’s already moved on. He’s with Izzie now.”   
  
“The blonde, gorgeous, ‘statuesque’ one?” Gina asked. Lexie now remembered describing Izzie that way.   
  
“Yes,” Lexie replied, looking down at her lap. “And she’s sweet, and nice, and …”   
  
“Sounds too much like Meredith,” Cassie said. “Too much like the sisters that we all want to forget. The ones that forget us. The ones we are forgotten for.”   
  
“No, no, she’s great. Much warmer; much more open than Meredith. But Meredith doesn’t try to be hard on me. I just represent everything she wants to forget – everything she wants to put out of her mind. A past that is so painful …”   
  
“Don’t we all?” Gina asked. “Don’t our sisters just want to forget us – forget us so they won’t have to deal with us? They want -"   
_  
“Okay_ let’s get back to Lexie. And Alex,” Cassie interrupted. “Yes, our sisters unintentionally brought us together, but first and foremost we are friends. And Lexie is our friend. And I know that we all want her to be happy, right?”   
  
“Right,” Gina and Katie agreed.   
  
“Lexie,” Cassie said, taking her hand. “You deserve to be happy. Just as much as anyone else. If Alex could make you happy, don’t you owe yourself to find out? Don’t you at least want to know how he really feels?”   
  
“And if he feels nothing for me …” Lexie said.   
  
“At least you'll know the truth,” Cassie said. “Living in limbo is no fun. You deserve better than that. So do it. Tell him.”   
  
Lexie didn’t know what to say. They made it sound so easy. Just tell him. Tell Alex that he was the one she wanted. Tell him how she really felt. How she felt her face flush with heat when he was around and the way her heart started hammering in her chest so hard that if she didn’t know better, she would be sure she was having a heart attack. The way he haunted her in her dreams. The way she loved looking into his light brown eyes, even though she couldn’t hold his gaze long because she got so self-conscious.   
  
They made it sound so easy to just declare her feelings to Alex but hearing his answer wouldn’t be easy – especially if he didn’t feel the same way. “I want to tell him, but some things just aren’t that easy,” Lexie said.   
  
“Nothing’s easy,” Katie said. “But I think Cassie’s right.”   
  
“Me too,” Gina agreed as she took a sip of her margarita.    
  
“We’re not just friends anymore, Lexie,” Cassie said. “We are like sisters. Even if we are the forgotten ones, we don’t forget each other. And we’re not going to forget you. We want you to be happy; you deserve to be happy.”   
  
Lexie smiled. “So you really think I should tell him? Where? When?”   
  
“When it feels right,” Katie said.    
  
“Outside of work. At your place. Order in. Light some candles. Dim the lights …” Gina said in a silky voice.    
  
Lexie crumpled the napkin and threw it at Gina. They all laughed. Gina found a pen and wrote down,  _“Ask Lexie about Alex next week.”_   
  
“We’re going to ask you, Lexie,” Gina said.   
  
“Yep. That’s the first order of business,” Cassie agreed. “Now should we drink to Lexie’s success?”   
  
“I’m the only one drinking,” Gina pointed out.   
  
“Katie’s got a soda, Lexie has water and so do I. That is good enough.”   
  
“Okay let’s toast …”


End file.
